Adjustable connection for switches.



W. T. HOLDEMAN.

ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION FOR SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. l4, ms.

1 ,270,824. Patented July 2, 1918.

rm: Non-ms rlrln: ca, pnamumm. wunmonm. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. HOLDEMAN bFiC-IHQAGO, ILLINOIS.

,newscasts"connect onron'swirenes.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownithat I, WI-LIJAM T. Home- MAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident ofChicsg'o, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois,have invented .certain new and usefulImprovements Adjustable Connections for Switches, of which thefo'llowingI is a specification.

My inventionrelates'to an improved adjustable "connection for switchesparticularly adaptable forconnecting switchipoints with the operatingtrainfrom a local switch Stand or from-n tower.

r In the operation- :of switches the throw of the switch "lever andoonnectillg =train is :us'ua lly i reater' than 1 the necessary ithrowof the' swi-t h to open or closedposition and meams must' be provided toadjust or compensztte 'for:suchidifi'erence. In Patent No.

791,622 issued 'June' 6, I905, to myself and others; adjusting mechanismfor thismurpose is shown* but this mechanism Y is not as efiicient as iit might to end my present ini l venti'on mayflbe'considered asian'improvewent thereover. In the arrangement of the patent the end ofthe operating train from the switch stand or tower is in the form of a,head 'shiftable 'between edjustable abut- 1 I merits-connected with theswitch bymea'ns of whichf adjustment can be made' so th iit shiftingefthe opereting train in one'di'rection or the'other will'ca'useeeeh'reteend safe closure or opening of the switch, "or safe as deralls.

will and accurate operation of'otherdevice's such r r I r r In thez'trrangement ofthe atent the abut-- ments are thefform 0f plugsthreaded into the endsofe housing secured to thetie-rod connectingtheswitth points, the ro'd"atthe end of the o'pereting tvein extendingthrough one; of theplugsmrd termineting inn heed withinthehousing."Switeh points o'rswitch rails oocasionally cree "or shiftlongitudinally i 'which-"case thefiedjusnnent housing will shift withreference to the switch stand or the operetingtrein leadin to agtoweigand this willomise hindingof the bar in "the housin if "no "provision isobjects of my invention is therefore to impl oi e tlie feenstruetion ihorde to permit requirin ef'lerger wrench are used to? lock specificetidnof Letters remit.

P tentedJu1 2,'191s;

' the nuts-in adjusted iposition. Another-im- .portant obj ect of myinvention is to: provide improved lock nuts which can be turned with thesame size wrench that'takes the ends of the adjusted plugs.

'On the accompanying drawing construction and arrangementus shown whichcmbodios the above-and other features of my invention. On this drawing-Figure 1 is e'perspectivevimv'showing the application of my adjustnbleconnecting device to aswitch,

Fig. 2-is an enlarged Vertical diametral sectionelview thereo Fig. 3 isanend view,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational vicwof one of the locknu'ts, end I InFig.1, 1" represents the rails of struck and p'the p'ointsote switch,these points being connected together at their front end by n tie-ber t.A represents my improved adjustable connecting-device which is securedto the tie-bar t end into which extends the rod 10 whichis connected tobe operated from a local switch stand orfrom a tower.

The device comprises a cylindrical housing :11 having the lateralextension c by mea s of which it may be secured to the switch or otherdevice to be controlled. The ends of 'the housing are of reduceddiameter andinternstlly threaded as indicated at 12 and 13 forreceivi ngthe adjustablc zibutmerit plugs Hand 15. Therod 10 extends through' thehore 16 of the plug- 14 and terminates in the abutmenthead 17. Asjthcrod 10 is shifted lo gitudinally from the switehetend or tower'tl'iehead 17 is brought into engagement'with the inner end of the respectiveplug 'to shift the switch or other device'to be controlled, the relativemovement betweenthe head and 5 housing determinedhy t'he a'djustinentofthe plugs being such its will compensate for t'he difference in throwbetween the switch lever and the desired throw 'of bhe switch oflotherdevice. It has beenf0und ths'itt-he switch points and the adjustableconnecting attachment secured thereto are frequently shifted Irelati'veto "the switch -stend"-or operating train so thettheakis of'theconhecting rod 10 will tend to assume an angle with the' zrxis ofthe housing and this will of course immediatel cause loindingif'noprovision were made-for reventing I, however, prevent such bindiiig bpehn'itting' lateral pity of" the red 10 l in the housinglll, and this Iaccomplish by making the diameter of the bore of plug14: greater at itsinner of the rod. In Fig. 2 the bore 16 is tapered 5 01' conicaland-Lfits" the rod 10 onlyat, its f outer-"end.- Thisper'mitslateral'play of the 10. section of the housing 11 issufliciently great 7V to accommodate the a lateral play of the rod 10; 1 r

The head 17 is preferably in-the' fo'rm of a nut appliedtothethreaded-end 1810f the with its ends convexedto'cooperate with theinner end of the plug l l'and thepreferably V convexed inner end of theplugs during '20 rod 10. 'To enable the nut toflbe applied to i thethreaded rod it ispreferably giventhe i opposed flattened sidesb'20zandj21' for *re- 7 c rod may havelateral play, insaid housings ;3.::In;aconnecting device0f the class"de-' scribed,the'comb'nation or.ahollsing' hava ing' a. passageway therethrough,ifabutment,

ceiving-a wrench; a r

The outer ends 22 and 23. of the-adjustable :1" abutment plugs 14 and 15are polygonal" to receive a wrench; As shown onvthe drawing,

theends are hexagonaland preferably of a a size to receive a standardtrack wirench-s0 that special tools will not be required for adjustingthe plugs. To look the, plugs in adjusted position I provide lock-nutsi2land '25 of special construction. These; lock nuts and27 of the housing11.1 If these lfock. nuts were oflthe ordinary kind ftheywould re quirea much-larger wrenchthan the plugs.-

Howeve gl provide 40 nuts iota-Va. width to, receive thejstln'dar wrenchso 5 that the lock-nuts can be turned with the-same wrenchthat is usedforjthe plugs; The-"Width'iif fiat tacesQO'and 21 can'also be suchastoreceive the standardwrench. I f

" :7 My. improvedadjustable: connection has i proven to be veryleificientry'lhe controlling {protected by the V 7 parts are all 4Within and housing'c 11?;and rain, snow or-dirt cannotien scanbemadejand ow ng a V v f-ofgth'e; connectlng rod withln the], housing,

' there-canybenobinding;-

the i exactfconstruction and arr'a-ngement a I in the; scope of the.nventlon claim as ifollows 1 I l lnan adju tabl end than th diameterhead 17'. during such.

scribedr the-c01hbination eta 'rod and theni-igidlysecuredbymeans'ofitSieHilS; a pin '19.; The nut is preferably cylindrical?therethrough; and "said :pa'ssageway longitudinal shift and lateralplay'of the cooperating receive the projectingithreaded ends of the plugs andabut against the end V flanges26' ra al-l g 28 :on hese,

the headl'? between its ter: to i vinterfere wlth the :proper fmovementand setting. of'the switch or -otherdevice to:' be controlled. By;rneansiof the standard, wrench.all/ eadjustment,isetting and locking to;the lateral play Q; I do not, of course, desire-to beilimited ashown'yand describedasmodifications arernod ub p s b w i h iv c ldv v tl1 190 11 V i th- 1 my mm:

r tor 26f the class I 1.."

abutment plugs ad ustable in said ends, one

"of said plugs havlng a passageway'therediameter at. the inner q endthan at the outer end, a rod extending I through of greater through said"passagewayjandc fitting the outer end thereofiand 7 end of saidrodforcoopeiatin a head at" the inner,

gfwithsaid i abutment plugsduring relative movement of the rod andhousing. f

- 2.111 a connectordevic' ends and extending part-w ay into said-housing, one of said plugs having-a passageway the class defhousing1m;- 1 mg l a 1 passageway therethrou ghthreaded at abutment plugsadjustable in said therein,a head. at the innenend' ofsaidlrodfor withsaid abutment plugsg'said passageway through saidplug being olt-1ncreasing diameteriflinwardly :whereby" said -f- I plugs:longitudinally adjustable :in said "ends? i and extending a distance;therein to leave a p s ace between their inner endgone oi? said p ugshavinga passageway .therethrough; a rod extending through said plug:passage-v cooperating with the abutment plugs to limit the relativelongitudinal movementiof increasing in diameter said-rod and housing,fsid plugpa' a w yllf toward its inner end 1001 i I 'f andsaid-head-beingof lessdiameter. than said housing interior l. Inaconnector. f thezcla ssi i V scribed, the combinationfiof, a cylindricali' leave an interior" chamber,

having a passageway jtherethr'ough; a 1 rod 4 plugpassagewaxiana;abutment head onflthe inner endof said rod-f f for [cooperating in said,zjinterior chamber? extending through sai with the inner ndsgofrsaideplug y QJfi-Q p the rod andthe other partsiof r they passagew'ay awhereby isaid f rod is-;;free.;to I wing latera y i efe e-t vi a ih sw.inggdur V pr -i5,

tral. plane being that-of." diame er J at bei fla e s reet III h reuntou scnbe e this 6th 1 day-of. Decliibcl Washington, D. 0. H

.housing, plugs-in; the endaof said-housing separated a distance attheir innerendstd, 1 7 one ofsaidplugs; 1 I V a rod extending through IShift Oflgitudinally f way,a head .at'theinnerend'of saidrodgtor ":s

